Refrigerator



Cet.. 8, 1946. H. E. RosEBRooK REFRIGERATOR Filed Jun'e 12, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. HOME/F FOSEEOO/ Get. 8, 1946.

H. E. ROSEBROOK REFRIGERATOR Filed June l2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. few/5@ E @oaf-@Fang Patented Jet 8, 1945 ragots REFRIGERATOR Homer E. Rosebrook, Greenville, Mich.,y assigner, by mesn'e assignments, to Gibson Refrigerator Company, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application .l une 12, 1941, Serial No. 397,684)

(Cl. (i2- 89) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to the provision of auxiliary compartments within such refrigerators for the storage of butter and other foodstuis which it is desired to maintain at a temperature higher than that of the remainder of the articles stored within the refrigerator.

The temperature nor-:many maintained within the main food storage compartment of a refrigerator is so low that butter kept at that temperature Wili not spread easily. Butter and similar foodstufis, however, can be properly preserved at temperatures somewhat higher than those prevailing in the main compartment. Hence, it is desirable to provide inthe refrigerator cabinet auxiliary compartment which can be kept at a higher Itemperature than that of the main compartment, yet sufficiently low to preserve butter and the like.

Accordingly, the principal object oi this invention is to provide in a refrigerator an aux iliary insulated compartment for the storage of butter and similar foodstuffs.

A further object is to provide novel-means for conducting heat to the auxiliary compartment whereby to maintain it at a temperature higher than that of the main compartment.

Another object of the invention is to improve the eiiiciency of the refrigeration system of refrigerators provided with such auxiliary compartments.

Another object is to provide a combi-ned heat transfer means andsupport for an auxiliary compartment.

These and other objects ancillary vthereto will more fully appear in the following speciiication, whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a iront elevational view of a refrigerator of the household type embodying the invention, the door of the refrigerator being open to show the interior thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View on an enlarged scale of the auxiliary compartment;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure l is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken ony substantially the line f-i of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary iront elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line of Figure 5; and` Y Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 'l-l of Figure 5.

The invention is shown as embodied in a conventional household refrigerator, shown in Figure 1. The refrigerator comprises a cabinet having an outer casing l0. Within the outer casing lo and spaced therefrom is a liner H defining a main refrigerated food storage compartment. Insulation 24 is packed between the liner H and the outer casing l0. The main compartmentis provided with a door l2. Within the main compartment is an evaporator I3 for cooling the main compartment. Shelvesv Mare provided for holding articles to be stored within the refrigerator;

n the bottom of the refrigeratorcabinet is a machinery compartment having an access door I5. The machinery compartment-contains a part of the refrigeration apparatus which may be of any conventional type. A condenser I1, Which-is connected to, and forms a part of the refrigerating system, is mounted in an upright-position in the rear' of the back wall of the cabinet. The condenser may comprise a continuous coilV of tubing, such as that shown. A ue le, open at its upper and lower ends, enclose's the condenser Il and is secured to the back of the cabinet l0.

Located within the main compartment is a housing IB forming an auxiliary compartment. The housing I8 comprises'a shell I9 having an access opening therein which is closed'by closure 2i).V TheY closure 20 is hinged to the shell I9 by hinges 2l positioned adjacent to the lower edge thereof. Both the shell and the closure are preferably formed from a suitable plastic material which is to a, A certain extent an insulating'material, 4That is, the plastic material has a col' efficient of heat'transfer lower than those of the variousV metals", but higher than those'm'ate'ii'als which are commonly called insulating materials. Thus, when thetemperature Within the auxiliary compartment is higher than that within the main compartment, there will be a relatively slow transfer of heat from the auxiliary compartment to the main compartment through thev walls surrounding the former.

The sneu le of the, auxiliary compartment is Y mountedon the back wallof the liner H by means of a U-shaped metal bar 22. The base of the U is located outside of the outer wall of the cabinet and is preferably in directcontact with a portion of the condenser' Il. The legs of the U extend'through the back walls of the casing l0 and the liner Ii and into housing i8". The legs of the U are secured to the side walls of thev shell lbyscrews; In order to'prevent direct 3 contact and consequent conduction of heat from the bar 22 to the liner Il, rubber grommets 25 are interposed between them. The grommets also seal the holes in the liner through which the bar 22 passes, thereby preventing the escape of moisture into the insulation 24.

The auxiliary compartment is cooled by the evaporator I3, The auxiliary compartment cannot become as cold as the main compartment because it is constantly being warmed by heat from outside the cabinet conducted through the bar 22. The air within the auxiliary compartment will absorb this heat and thereby maintain the temperature of the auxiliary compartment above that of the main compartment.

Since the arrangement just described conducts heat from the exterior of the refrigerator into the interior thereof, it would be expected to cause a slight decrease in the eiciency of the refrigerator. This loss, however, will be offset to a considerable extent by absorbing the heat from the condenser I1. Since the condenser I1 has to be cooled and the bar 22 is to be heated, arranging them in heat exchange relation increases the efficiency of the condenser. This arrangement is much superior to an arrangement wherein the heat transfer means is exposed only to the air outside the refrigerator because the heat loss in that case is an absolute Waste.

Figures to 7 show a somewhat modified form of the invention. The housing which forms the auxiliary compartment in this modification is designated by the reference numeral 55. The refrigerator in which the housing is mounted may be the same as that previously described. It ,v

comprises an outer casing I0^ and a liner Il' with insulation 24' between them. At the back of the refrigerator is a condenser I1' partially surrounded by a flue I6.

The housing 5D comprises an outer shell 5| and a hinged closure 52. Preferably the shell and closure are made from a plastic the same as that in the previously described construction. The shell 5I of the housing 50 is secured in any suitable manner, preferably by screws 53, to the back wall of the liner Il of the refrigerator cabinet.

In this modification of the invention the heat transfer means is a closed refrigerant circuit It comprises a continuous coil of hollow tubing which is looped back and forth Within the shell 5I and extends through the back Walls of the liner Il and the casing IB of the refrigerator cabinet. The portion outside of the cabinet is bent into the shape shown in Figures 5 to 7, and

is arranged so that a portion thereof is in contact with the condenser l1'.

The tubular refrigerant circuit 55 is partially filled with a suitable volatile refrigerant. The quantity of refrigerant employed within the coil is such that at the temperatures prevailing within the auxiliary compartment a portion of the refrigerant is liquiiied. Liquid refrigerant collects in the bottom part of the coil and in the lowermost loop of the coil outside of the refrigerator. Here it absorbs heat from the condenser I1' and is evaporated, The gaseous refrigerant then passes back into the auxiliary compartment where it gives up its heat and is again liquiiied. Thus it will be seen that the refrigerant circuit 55 is in effect a closed system wherein the evaporator is that portion outside the refrigerator and in contact with the condenser 56 and wherein the condenser of circuit 55 is that portion within the auxiliary compartment.

In this modification, as in the previously described construction, a portion of the heat from the condenser I1' is utilized to evaporate the liquid refrigerant in the coil 55, hence there is no appreciable loss in efficiency of the entire refrigerator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides an auxiliary compartment which can be maintained at temperatures above those within the main food storage compartment whereby butter and other foodstuffs can be properly preserved, without causing an appreciable loss in the efficiency of the refrigerator as a whole.

Furthermore, in the modification shown in Figures 1 to 4 the U-shaped bar which forms the heat transfer medium, also provides the sole support for the auxiliary compartment.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator including, in combination, a cabinet formed to provide a main refrigerated compartment, a housing in said main compartment defining an auxiliary compartment, the walls of said housing being formed of relatively poor heat conducting material, means for refrigerating said main compartment including a condenser located outside of said main compartment, and heat transfer means for maintaining the temperature within said auxiliary compartment above that within the main compartment, said heat transfer means having a portion in heat exchange relation with said condenser and another portion in heat exchange relation with said auxiliary compartment, said last named portion being substantially insulated from said main refrigerated compartment.

2. A refrigerator as defined in claim l wherein said heat transfer means comprises a closed refrigerant circuit containing a volatile refrigerant.

3. A refrigerator comprising, in combination, a cabinet formed to provide a main refrigerated compartment, a housing in said main compartment defining an auxiliary compartment, the walls of said housing being formed of relatively poor heat conducting material, and heat transfer means for maintaining the temperature within said auxiliary compartment above that within the main compartment, said heat transfer means comprising a closed refrigerant circuit having a condenser portion in heat exchange relation with said auxiliary compartment and an evaporator portion located outside of the cabinet and in heat exchange relation to the air outside of the cabinet, said condenser portion being substantially insulated from said main refrigerated compartment.

4. A refrigerator comprising, in combination, a cabinet formed to provide a main refrigerated compartment, a housing in said main compartment defining an auxiliary compartment, heat transfer means for transferring heat to the air Within the auxiliary compartment to maintain it at a temperature above that within the main compartment, said heat transfer means comprising a closed refrigerating circuit containing a volatile refrigerant and having a condenser portion within said auxiliary compartment and the evaporator portion outside of said refrigerated compartment, said condenser portion being substantially insulated from said main refrigerated compartment.

5. A refrigerator as defined in claim 4 wherein said closed refrigerating circuit comprises a continuous tube containing a volatile refrigerant.

6. In a refrigerator cabinet having a refrigtem for providing refrigeration in said compartament, and a food storage receptacle within said refrigerated compartment, means including a hermetically sealed container partially filled with a vaporizable liquid for transferring heat from a portion of said system to the interior of said receptacle.

HOMER ROSEBROO'K. 

